There are a number of problems with the soft golf cart covers that are presently available. For example, the available covers are generally designed to cover the whole cart. Significant effort is required to install these covers, especially if they get wet before installation. Typically these covers have a number of zippers that must be aligned and closed when installing the cover over the cart. These covers are also difficult to remove from the cart. Moreover, the present covers are often made of heavy material and are expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,859 provides a golf cart shield that requires an entire supporting frame to be secured to the golf cart greatly increasing the costs and complexities of use and minimizing acceptance. An effective golf cart shield should be easily removed or stowed when not needed, so as to further enhance the golfer's experience of the course (i.e. protection to be provided only when desired).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,325 discloses a golf club cover for golf carts that provides a protective shield for the rear portion of the golf cart (where the clubs are stored). This apparatus fails to provide any protection at the open lateral sides of the golf cart.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,013,315, 5,921,609, and 6,007,137 provide partial lateral side opening sun or rain/wind shields for golf carts, however these devices fail to substantially cover the opening leaving the occupants unprotected (e.g. the occupant's legs will still be rained upon with these shields). See also a Golf Card Weather Shield at ugolfline.com, U.S. Patent Publication numbers 2002/0027373, 2002/0084669 and 2002/0096906 and U.S. Pat. Nos. D349,998, D363,265, D437,170, 5,217,275, 5,388,881, 6,158,805, 6,216,714, 6,220,657, 6,416,109 and 6,439,637.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a soft golf cart shield that is inexpensive, easy to install, and which protects the passengers from rain and inclement weather while not requiring the whole cart to be covered.